BME Communities ‘Disproportionately Impacted’ By Universal Credit

The Race Equality Foundation (REF) has said the move to Universal Credit will have a severe impact on the lives of those from BME communities. The research says UC will leave black and minority ethnic families worse off due to more receiving benefits and tax credits.  The government have estimated 16% of UC claimants will be of BME backgrounds, which is higher than the percentage of the population as a whole. They have also stated that whilst Universal Credit looks to incentivise people into work, the Work Programme has failed to work for BME people. This has left them remaining either in workless households or on low and insecure employment. Read more on 24Housing.

Addressing Supported Housing Needs for Minority Ethnic Groups

The recent debates on the proposed changes to housing benefit in the welfare reform bill raise concerns about the impact of such changes on vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. This will include those in supported housing accommodation and black and minority ethnic communities. Supported housing covers a range of accommodation types and support to address the needs of a range of people. In Better Housing briefing paper Meeting the supported housing needs of black and minority ethnic communities, the Race Equality Foundation draws attention to discrepancies in the experiences of groups within these communities of supported housing. Evidence shows that people from minority groups may be more likely to require supported housing services and this is demonstrated in the areas of mental health, homelessness, domestic violence, older people and young parents outlined in the briefing. Download a copy of the briefing from the Race Equality Foundation website.

BME Tenants ‘Get a Raw Deal from Benefit Cuts’

Housing benefit cuts will disproportionately harm black and minority ethnic families, according to the first study to assess their impact on the BME community. The Race Equality Foundation said the cuts could damage community cohesion by forcing BME families from their homes and into new areas where housing is more affordable. It claimed BME communities will be more likely to suffer from the cuts because they often need larger homes due to family size and tend to live in areas targeted by the cuts such as London, where the disparity between rents and the benefit cap is particularly high. It pointed to Department for Work and Pensions research which estimated 30 per cent of households affected by capping local housing allowance payments to a maximum of four bedrooms included someone from a BME background. Download a copy of the report from the Race Equality Foundation website.

Race Equality Foundation Housing Briefing Papers

Housing briefing papers are now available from the Race Equality Foundation's Better Housing website. Click on the logo below to go to the website
Briefing 15: Linking black and minority ethnic organisations with mainstream homeless service providers
Briefing 14: Harnessing the talents of marginalised communities
Briefing 13: Monitoring the ethnicity of housing service users: forty years of progress?
Briefing 12: Refugee community organisations: working in partnership to improve access to housing services
Briefing 11: Looking to the future: changing BME housing needs and aspirations
Briefing 10: Gypsies, Travellers and accommodation
Briefing 9: Black, minority ethnic and refugee women, domestic violence and access to housing
Briefing 8: Black and minority ethnic young people and housing
Briefing 7: Rural minority ethnic experiences: housing and health
Briefing 6: Meeting the sheltered & extra care housing needs of BME older people
Briefing 5: Black and minority ethnic user participation in housing
Briefing 4: Housing choice and racist hostility
Briefing 3: The housing needs of black and minority ethnic disabled children and their families
Briefing 2: Racist harassment and housing services
Briefing 1: Black and minority ethnic employment in social housing

Race Equality Foundation Launches “Better Housing” Website

The Race Equality Foundation has set up the Better Housing website with the aim of “Using evidence to promote race equality in social housing”. The website provides access to the organisation’s evidence-based briefing papers, provides good practice examples and signposts other useful information. These briefing papers have been written by experts to help policymakers, practitioners and their managers to consider the implications of the latest evidence on the housing experiences of black and minority ethnic communities. The site also has a growing set of related quality-assessed resources, and a forum to allow discussion, debate, and the opportunity to network with others in the field. Forthcoming conferences and training courses to promote race equality in housing are also listed in the events section. Access the website by clicking on the logo below. Keep up to date with the latest news in the field by registering for the monthly newsletter by emailing katherine@racefound.org.uk

Lack of Recognition For Minority Resident Groups

Housing providers should work with marginalised groups to create better communities, according to a report, Harnessing the Talents of Marginalised Communities, which says there is a ‘lack of understanding’ of self-established refugee community organisations and they are often ‘operating below the radar’. The authors of the paper say these groups are often self-motivated and well organised. ‘Changes in housing policy, such as the reconfiguring of small and black and minority ethnic housing associations, makes recognition of and engagement with newly emerging groups all the more urgent. ‘Recent studies show that marginalisation is linked to structural barriers within society; for instance, institutionalised racism and a lack of political will.’ Find the report on the Race Equality Foundation website.

Poor Data Analysis Harms Equality Work

Housing organisations are not properly monitoring the ethnicity of tenants and failing to stamp out discrimination, a study has found. The Race Equality Foundation has published a paper looking at how local authorities and housing associations collect and analyse data. The report, Monitoring the ethnicity of housing service users: forty years of progress?, concludes: ‘Although ethnic record keeping of housing services has been recommended for forty years, it would appear that true monitoring (rather than mere record keeping) is in decline. Find the report on the Foundation’s website by clicking on their logo below.